Apparatus for determining the germination capacity of seeds



Jan. 19, 1960 P. E. AEGIDIUS 2,921,598

APPARATUS FOR DETERMINING THE GERMINATION CAPACITY OF SEEDS Filed Aug. 16, 1957 INVENTOR Po uZ Erik Aegdidu;

BY m,% l Wm ATTORNEXF United States Patent APPARATUS FOR DETERMINING THE GERMI- NATION CAPACITY OF SEEDS Poul Erik Aegidius, Hillerod, Denmark Application August 16, 1957, Serial No. 678,688 Claims priority, application Germany August 23, 1956 2 Claims. (Cl. 137-205) The invention relates to an apparatus for a rapid determination of the germination capacity of seed, especially grains of the cereals, comprising a reaction vessel in which selected grains after having been split longitudinally through the embryo are exposed to a reaction with an aqueous solution of a compound which causes a dyeing of the embryo if capable of germinating.

It has been proposed to determine the value of seed in subjecting selected grains to a re-agent which causes a contrasting difference in color between sound portions and unsound portions of the external surface of such grain and it has also been proposed to investigate the germination capacity of an amount of seed in splitting each individual one of selected grains longitudinally through the embryo of same and to subject the split grains under vacuum to a re-agent which changes the color of the grains provided the grain is capable of germinating.

The determination of the value of seed in subjecting selected grains to the influence of a coloring agent without exposing the embryo of the grains takes a few minutes only, say from 3-5 minutes, and discloses broadly whether or not the tested grains are sound or unsound. The result of this test states however not with certainty the condition of the embryo of the grains. Even if the grains are not miscolored by the said reaction, one may not feel sure that the embryo itself is sound.

In order to get a safe knowledge of the germination capacity of the number of grains it is necessary to investigate the embryo of the grains to be tested and to this end it has as referred to above been proposed to split each grain to be tested longitudinally so that the embryos are visible and may be subjected to the influence of the reagent.

In the hitherto proposed apparatus for determining the germination capacity of seed in reacting selected split grains with an agent, changing the color of the embryo if sound, the period of time of each reaction is relatively long, not less than one hour even if the reaction is carried through at an elevated temperature, say about 45 C. For this reason the hitherto known apparatus of the said kind are highly impractical in use to a purchaser of large loads of seed, since a control of a selected number of grains in order to decide upon the question whether or not the germination capacity of the grains of such load has the desired value may not be carried out in the course of a relatively short period of time, say 510 minutes.

The present invention relates to an apparatus according to which it is possible to investigate the germination capacity of split grains in discoloring the embryo of same in the course of a few minutes.

It has been observed that the appearance of the colorreaction between an exposed embryo of a split grain and a reaction agent at elevated temperature, e.g. 45 0, would be accelerated very considerably if the reaction is under taken in a vacuum, preferably of an order of size of 0.1 atm. If so, the duration of reaction would be reduced to approximately the same number of minutes, viz. 5-10 minutes, as the time of reaction in the method referred 2,921,598 Patented Jan. 19, 1960 Now the apparatus hitherto proposed for the purpose aimed at are relatively complicated, not only as far as the structure is concerned, but also in the manner of operating. Ordinarily such an apparatus comprises a reaction vessel in which the reaction is to be undertaken, a storage Vessel in which the agent to be used is stored, a conduit interconnecting the top end of the reaction vessel to the bottom end of the storage vessel, a valve being inserted in said conduit together with a heating coil adapted to heat the liquid agent to a proper temperature when transferred by suction action from the storage vessel to the reaction vessel. The agent used in such apparatus is ordinarily a weak aqueous solution of 2,3,5- triphenyl-tetrazolium-chloride or a selenium compound or a dinitrobenzoyl chloride.

According to the present invention an apparatus of the kind referred to is provided with a further conduit interconnecting the bottom end of the reaction vessel to the conduit between the top end of the said vessel and the storage vessel in a point of the last mentioned conduit which is located between the heating coil inserted in same and the top end of the reaction vessel. Said further conduit aims the purpose of enabling the liquid agent used for the investigation of the germination capacity to be automatically re-transferred from the reaction vessel to the storage vessel when a reaction has taken place and the tested grains are to be subsequently removed from the reaction vessel. In an apparatus according to the present invention this re-transfer of the said liquid or solvent takes place under the influence of the vacuum which would appear in the storage vessel above the liquid disclosed in same, each time a portion of said liquid is transferred from said storage vessel over into the reaction vessel in order to react on a number of split grains located in same. The said transfer of liquid from the storage vessel to the reaction vessel is caused by evacuation of the reaction vessel by means of an evacuation device.

When the reaction between the liquid agent transferred to the reaction vessel and the grains has finished, then the vacuum created in the reaction vessel is eliminated, viz, by the opening of a valve interconnecting the interior of the said vessel to the atmosphere and at the same time or immediately before a check valve inserted in the conduit interconnecting the top end of the reaction vessel and the heating coil is automatically closed, thus preventing the vacuum which as referred to above was created in the top end of the storage vessel during the transfer of the liquid agent from the storage vessel to the reaction vessel from being eliminated through the said conduit and the reaction vessel. Consequently, said vacuum would cause the liquid in the last reaction vessel to be automatically sucked back to the storage vessel through the conduit, referred to above, between the bottom end of the reaction vessel and the heating coil. An apparatus of this kind operates very quickly and is very simple to manipulate so that a test may be undertaken in the course of a very short interval of time.

The drawing is a diagrammatic view of an apparatus for the determination of the germination capacity of seeds.

In the drawing a is an airtight closed vessel for the storage of weak, aqueous solution of a salt, e.g. a 0.2% solution of 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazoliumchloride. b is a vessel in which the germination capacity of seeds, e.g. grains are to be investigated by reaction between the seeds or grains not shown, with a solution of the kind referred to above, which solution is transferred from the storage vessel a to the reaction vessel b by suction action through a conduit c having a portion nbeing hereinafter referred to as the valve portion n by means of two squeezing members s, as more especially referred to below. The said suction is caused by a suction pump e, the suction side of which being by way of a conduit 1, connected to the interior of the top end of the vessel b. This conduit l is furthermore connected to a valve g through which the said conduit 1 and thus the interior of the vessel b may be caused to communicate with the suction pump e or alternately with the atmosphere through a valve g. Othewise the vessel b is to be hermetically sealed by an airtight cover 11.

The bottom end of the vessel b is by way of a conduit it connected to the conduit in a point of same, located between the storage vessel or and the valve portion n. Thus the bottom end of the reaction vessel 1) may by way of the conduit k having a squeezable portion p and the heating coil d be caused to communicate with the bottom end of the vessel (1, viz. when the squeezable portion pbeing hereinafter referred to as the valveportion p-is not squeezed.

In the modification shown on the drawing of an apparatus according to the invention the two squeezable valve portions 11 and p are controlled by a squeezing device s, s arranged to be shifted manually by means of an eccentric x to the position indicated on the drawing in which the squeezing members s of said device squeeze the valve portion p of the conduit k and are maintained in squeezing position relatively to said valve portion p by a pawl 0.

The valve portions n and p may if desired instead of being squeezable portions of the conduits c and k respectively be ordinary valves, eg. check valves.

When the apparatus as shown on the drawing is to be used for the determination of the germination capacity of a split grain or a number of split grains, both half parts of all of said longitudinally split grains are placed in a cuvette or other suitable carrier, not shown, which carrier is inserted in the reaction vessel a through the opened 'top end of same, whereafter said vessel is hermetically closed by means of the cover It. Thereafter the squeezing device s, s is adjusted to the position indicated on the drawing in which the valve portion p of the conduit k is squeezed whereas the valve portion :1 of the conduit 0 is non-squeezed. The pawl 0 blocks the squeezing device in said position. Thereinafter or simultaneously with the said adjustment of the squeezing device the suction pump e is started to cause an evacuation of the vessel h and consequently to cause an amount of solution to flow from the vessel a through the heat-coil d and the conduit 6 onto the reaction vessel b. The said portion of the liquid is if desired heated to about 45 C. during the passage through the heating coil. When an amount of solution sufiiciently to cover the split grains and their carrier as inserted in the vessel b has been transferred to said vessel the eccentric x is rotated manually about its axis q so as to cause the squeezing members s to squeeze the Valve portion n of the conduit 0, the squeezing members being still blocked in squeezing position by the pawl 0.

The position of the pawl is in the embodiment of the apparatus shown on the drawing control-led by a clockwork 11 which is controlled through a conduit r by the vacuum created by the pump e in the conduit 1 and the vessel b so as to be automatically started when the said vacuum has adopted a value at which the liquid agent in the vessel b starts boiling. Then the function of the pump is stopped manually or automatically and a few minutessay five minutes-thereafter the cloci -work causes automatically a release of the pawl h from the squeezing members S, which means when the colour-reaction of the embryo of the grains is completed. Thereafter the valve g in the conduit 1' is opened manually to allow air to flow into thevessel I) through the conduit 1 to eliminate the vacuum previously created in said vessel. This elimination causes the solution disclosed in the reaction vessel 12 to return through the conduit k and the worm or coil (1 to the vessel (1 due to the vacuum which was created in the upper end of the vessel a during the previous transfer of the solution from the vessel a to the vessel b as referred to above. The apparatus is then ready for a new test when the carriers referred to above are removed from the vessel 12 together with the grains. located in said carriers. T

i is a filter which is. inserted in the bottom end of the vessel b and servesthe purpose of retaining impurities which might have been introduced into the portion of the solution which together with the grains are reacted in the vessel b.

If desired the conduit 16 between the bottom ends of the two vessels a and b may be taken directly from the bottom end of the vessel 15 to the bottom end of the vessel a which means without passing the heating worm d, which latter is fitted with a heating member m, e.g. an electric lamp, the operation of which may be controlled by a thermostat not shown.

In order to simplify the apparatus the clock-work u may be dispensed with and the squeezing device s, s; may then be operated manually by means of the eccentric x.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for determining the germination capacity of seeds in reacting selected, longitudinally split grain with an agent causing a contrast of color between sound and unsound embryos, comprising a reaction vessel, a removable cover for closing the open top end of said vessel hermetically, an evacuating device, a conduit connecting said device to the interior of said vessel at the top end of same, a valve for connecting the interior of said vessel to the atmosphere, a second vessel for storing the said agent, a conduit interconnecting the bottom end of said storage vessel and the top end of said reaction vessel, a heating coil connected up in the conduit between the storage vessel and the reaction bessel, a valve inserted in the last mentioned conduit between said heating coil and the top end of the reaction vessel, and a conduit connecting the bottom end of the reaction vessel to the conduit between said bottom end of the storage vessel and the top end of the reaction vessel at a point of said conduit located between said valve and said heating coil.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, in which a contraction valve is provided in the conduit interconnecting the bottom end of the reaction vessel to the conduit between the top end of said vessel and the bottom end of the storage vessel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

